Mitt Romney’s speech in Stratham on Friday might remind political veterans in this state of the way the most popular governor in state history first got in elected in 2004: attack opponent, attack opponent again, offer a sprinkle of things you’d do in office, and attack again.

Romney returned to the farm of former House Speaker Doug Scamman almost exactly a year after he formally launched his campaign there. A year ago he was reintroducing himself in a crowded primary field as the perceived frontrunner. On Friday he was trying to kick off the general election as a referendum on the incumbent.

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This is classic campaign politics 101: When there is an incumbent running for re-election the challenger must first convince voters to fire the person in office and then appear to be a palatable alternative. This is an approach that many try, but few in modern New Hampshire politics seem to execute as well as Lynch did. Sure, there have been Congressional challengers who have won, but they were aided in political wave years. Lynch didn’t have that.

Romney delivered hopeful, but attack filled speech in Stratham, focused almost entirely on Obama and not himself.

“The President’s plans have Americans wondering whether our future can be as bright as our past. But that lack of faith in our future is a bridge to despair that we cannot cross,” Romney said “That’s why, from now until November, our campaign will carry a simple message: America’s greatest days are ahead.”

It was very similar to how Lynch ran his first campaign against incumbent Gov. Craig Benson in 2004. Lynch also opened with a campaign ad that defined himself as a businessman who could watch the bottom line “but still look out for people.”

Where Romney mentioned phrases like ”Solyndra” and “czars,” Lynch would talk about Choicelinx and expensive state owned SUVs that escorted then Gov. Craig Benson around.

It’s safe to say that Obama is taking his re-election much more seriously than Benson ever did. And it is interesting to see Romney using the challenger’s controversies as effectively as Lynch did.